Polish Professor of legal sciences, politician. From 1990 to 1996 he held the function of the Rector of the University of Lodz.
Between 2005–2007, he was a Minister of National Education and Minister of Science and Higher Education in the government of Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz and Jarosław Kaczyński, senator of the 8th term.
He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1993) and the Medal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. He is a Chevalier of the Academic Palms, which is the highest French academic honour. He received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the Jean Moulin III University in Lyon.